Feeding question

[WrongPython]

You never want to feed on a paper towel, as it doesn't take much dampness for the paper towel to stick to the prey & be ingested...NOT good for your snake! Please avoid this...

I agree with Bogertophis on the paper towel. I missed that. Could be very bad.

Yeah, DON'T DO THIS. I actually had something like this happen a little while ago, and the only reason it didn't escalate into an impaction/emergency was the fact that the boa in question was a small, ridiculously laid-back individual that didn't mind me reaching into her mouth mid-feed to unhook the paper towel from her teeth. Try using an appropriately-sized plastic lid instead if you feel the need to feed on top of something to keep substrate off your boa's feed. I've been feeding my boas over plastic lids for a while now without issue. I may stop doing so when they get older, though. As it stands, I'm not as concerned about them ingesting the little bit of EcoEarth that clings to their food as much as keeping the EcoEarth out of their teeth. They HATE getting that substrate stuck in their teeth, so I figured I'd save them the trouble (and keep the one from rubbing their face on everything).

For what it's worth, it sounds like you just have a very food-happy boa that takes a while to come out of feeding mode. The strength and duration of boas' feeding response varies between individuals. My two boas are very different in this regard.

My female Sonoran, Adelita, takes quite a while to "turn on" on feeding day, and will only strike if I'm actively jiggling a hot (~90 F) mouse. AFTER she eats, however, she's a total beast. She will go into an ambush position near the spot where I fed her and stalk the spot for up to three days post-feed, and is much quicker to strike at anything food-shaped (ie. a human hand) during this time. Once she comes of out of feeding mode, however, she's very laid-back, to the point that I could just reach in and pick her up on most days.

My male longicauda, Kuzco, is very different. When he registers that it's feeding time and there's food in his enclosure, you can physically see the switch being flipped. He'll suddenly key up, quickly make his way over to wherever his food is, and grab it without a second thought. It doesn't matter if the food's on the ground or being offered from the tongs. There are even days where he'll "kingsnake it" and just start eating as soon as he's grabbed his food, no coiling necessary! All of this makes for a very entertaining feeding session, doubly so now that he's recently taken to feeding off his perch. In spite of this considerable feeding response, though, he's pretty quick to come out of feeding mode, and is typically back to his normal self by the next morning. The switch flips off and quickly as it flips on, so to speak.

I will say that my Sonoran was a little more food-happy when her feeding intervals were shorter. She only eats every 2-3 weeks now, but she ate every 7-10 days when I first brought her home. I'm not sure how often you're feeding your boa, but perhaps this could have something to do with it as well.